Who Is An Unreliable Narrator In A & P

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1. In John Updike's A&P, Sammy is not meant to function as a spokesman for Updike or his point of view. Sammy is a classic example of an “unreliable” narrator—that is, a narrator who is a full-fledged character in the story and whose opinions must be analyzed rather than simply accepted. For example, Sammy’s comment on the unknowability of the female mind should be taken as a statement in a character’s voice and not as a statement of Updike’s feelings on the topic. A more significant example is Sammy’s statement that “once you begin a gesture it’s fatal not to go through with it.” This is by no means a message statement by Updike. Rather, it is a highly debatable proposition by an impulsive young man who may have reason to regret the gesture …show more content…

In the story, there appears to be a contrast in the social classes between Sammy and his customers (the girls and the old lady). Sammy feels that the girls are rich due the way they behave (the way they walk) and what they buy (canned fish). Sammy imagines Queenie’s life as extravagant and that family is privileged and that they hold big parties. Sammy feels that he is below Queenie due to his depiction of her life. Queenie is not her real name; Sammy creates is because he thinks that she is the “queen” of the group. Sammy knows nothing about her except what she is wearing, what she buys, and how she acts towards her friends. Queenie’s behavior shows that she is snobby and thinks highly of herself despite her appearance and actions. He imagines her to be higher class due to the way she flaunts herself and how she acts. He also pictures the canned fish she buys as ritzy and extravagant when it really isn’t. Sammy quits his job in order to gain the approval of the girls and Queenie. I feel that Sammy is trying to impress Queenie in hopes to gain acceptance and approval from the upper class. Throughout the story, you learn about many of the products that A&P offers and also the type of customers they have. Sammy describes an aisle that

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